before he got his hands on his
second Premier League trophy,
to talk about his rise from League
Two to England number one and
the reason he finds Aleksander
Kolorov so amusing, which is
something we also touched on
with City teammate. Vincent
Kompany. We also met-up with
Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba
to talk life in Turkey and more.

Eds Letter
Celebrating the spirit of football
in a way that RWD never have
before, we knew we had to pull
out the big guns for this issue.
Lucky for you, that’s exactly
what we’ve done. Starting with
the guy through whom England
will play in a style more akin
to their hosts than the England
we’ve previously known, our
cover-star Jack Wilshere has
form for sparkling in the light
of Brazil, picking up a Man of
the Match award in England’s
not insignificant 2-1 victory over
the tournament favourites at
Wembley last year.
Sticking with the England camp,
we sat down with Joe Hart just

In what has been a football
obsessed month, we were lucky
enough to witness the next
generation of English talent at
Nike’s Winner Stays competition
in north, south, east and west
London, where teams of four
faced-off in a high-tempo winnerstays-on feast of pure adrenalin,
technique and will-power.
Outside of football we grabbed
buzzing photographer Eddy
Leonardo who told us why he’s
#ReadyForAnything, we’ve also
tipped Shift K3y as About To
Blow. We went Behind The Label
with some of the most important
movers and shakers in music,
while 50 Cent, explained his
motivation for returning to hip
hop. I told you we brought it.

In a word, I’m...
stoic
You’ll normally find
me... over there, with
those
This issue… won’t
get resolved with you
shouting
I’m all about... Lucozade
in a can
I’m so over... bottled
Lucozade
Get at me...
@benkeablefaw

In a word, I’m...
aspiring
You’ll normally find
me... burying my head in
the music
This issue… I’m chatting
about the upcoming
World Cup
I’m all about... positivity
I’m so over... worn-out
Twitter memes
Get at me...
@_Aniefiok_

In a word, I’m...
Oliver Green
You’ll normally find
me... working
This issue… I’ve been
designing…
I’m all about... progress
I’m so over... sleeping
Get at me...
@green_o
greenomedia.co.uk

RWD Magazine is published monthly by Rewind
Creative Media Ltd. All material copyright (c). All rights
reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or
transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without
the express written permission of the publishers.
RWD Magazine: 25p where sold
Disclaimer: While every effort is
made to ensure the information in this magazine is
correct, changes can occur which affect the accuracy
of copy, for which RWD holds no responsibility. The
opinions of the contributors do not necessarily bear a
relation to those of RWD Magazine or it’s staff and we
disclaims liability for those impressions.
Distributed nationally.
RWD is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations

CHECK
-IN
CHECK
OUT
Shorty Swing My Way
Head To Toe
Check out… the coolest socks around. It’s not often you’ll find us
badgering on about socks, but when they’re this cool, it’s kinda hard
not to. Sporting graphics of alcohol, money, dice games and Chinese
takeout, the socks are best worn pulled all the way up.
Get your feet into a pair at 40sandshorties.com

Saxon Support

From X To Next

A Slice of Rap History

Support England the right way

Finally the X-Men movie we’ve
always wanted?

Illmatic Is Timeless

Check out… One True Saxon
who have launched their nod
to the World Cup exclusively
at scottsmenswear.com and in
Scotts stores across the UK.
Spend £40 or more on One True
Saxon to receive a free England
flag and pin badge.
Grab your One True Saxon at
scottsmenswear.com now

Check-in… at cinemas this
month for a return to where
Hollywood’s obsession with
comic book blockbusters began.
Tying the original X-Men trilogy
into 2011’s X-Men: First Class,
Days of Future Past promises
one or two major twists.
X-Men: DOFP is in cinemas now

Check out… Time Is Illmatic, the
recently released documentary
created to mark the 20th
anniversary of Nas’ Illmatic LP.
The doc explores the making
of the Queens hailing rapper’s
debut, delving into the life
and mind of one of the most
celebrated rappers in the game.
Time Is Illmatic is out now

Manny’s World

Pure Shade

Bases Loaded

Get your hater blockers on

UCLA knock it out the park

Check out… the smart and
contemporary adidas originals
melbourne sunglasses. Joining
the more playful san diego and
beach friendly malibu in the
brand’s sick summer collection,
the melbourne is our standout
favourite from a strong drop.
Hit adidas.com/eyewear and
facebook.com/adidaseyewear

Whassup gang?! I’m back with a few
things from the world of me.
So we’re fast approaching the World
Cup in Brazil, and I’m sure 99.9%
of the globe are very excited at the
prospect of a whole month of football. I’m predicting there will be a lot
of sick days taken from work! I can’t
wait. I’m wondering if we’ll see any
more novelty songs released like
Three Lions? I’m hoping we don’t!
In the world of music, 50 Cent is
making a comeback in a big way.
I’ve been playing tracks from his
new album Animal Ambition and
it’s sounding very strong. I recently
chatted to him on The Norté Show
on Capital Xtra, and I could tell he’s
still got that hunger. We spoke about
his company SMS Audio and he told
me that super producer Timbaland
and New York Knicks baller Carmelo
Anthony are partners in the brand
who have done some wicked collaborations with Star Wars and Disney, so
it looks like they’re doing pretty well.
The daddy of rnb Usher is BACK! His
comeback single has been getting
major play on Capital Xtra and by the
looks of things, he still wants it! His
new album could be a problem... in a
good way!
Bringing it back to the UK, the trio All
About She who gave us the hit single
Higher, recently released an EP called
Go Slow, featuring some great production and fantastic vocals. My stand
out tracks are Remedy, Like That and I
Can’t Wait with Jacob Banks. Check it
out if you haven’t already.

McQueen Makes Kings
When a football boot is more than a football boot
Check out… Puma’s incredible collaboration with designer Alexander
McQueen which has produced two limited edition PUMA King boots,
one Fish Skin, tanned and crafted with a gold hand finish, the other a
supple hand burnished Italian leather.
Visit pumafootball.com for more

Don’t forget that as well as my Friday
night mix show (The Norté Show)
from 11pm on Capital Xtra, I’m also
on weekdays 9am - midday. I do
Reloaded on Xtra at 11am every day,
and now the sun’s come out, I want
you to choose some of the biggest old
school and urban dance anthems. So
if you’ve got any ideas for tunes you’d
like to hear, make sure you tweet me
@MannyNorte. If I play your request,
I’ll shout you out, simple! Catch you
next time. Peace.

CHECK-IN CHECK OUT / 12

Wireless Heads To Brum
Birmingham to welcome one of the festivals of the year
Check In… to Perry Park in Birmingham this summer where Wireless Festival
will be following up an incredible 2013 by establishing itself in England’s second
city. With the task of outdoing last year’s epic Jay Z and Justin Timberlake
headline, this year’s Wireless announcements have not disappointed. Headline
acts of Kanye West and Drake over the two cities is enough to ensure our
presence, but it’s the line-up’s attention to detail including former RWD coverstars Tinie Tempah, Joel Compass, Rudimental, Ella Eyre and Clean Bandit,
which make Perry Park a guaranteed festival stop this summer.
Wireless Festival takes place across 4-5-6 July in Perry Park, Birmingham and
Finsbury Park, London. Hit livenation.co.uk for tickets

CHECK-IN CHECK OUT / 14

Iconic Status
Lacoste hit the court
Check out… legendary tennis
brand Lacoste’s Icon collection
featuring the heritage inspired
Carnaby, Camden, Marcel Cup,
Graduate and Fairlead trainers,
which see the brand add new
materials and production
techniques to a few classics.
The Icon collection is exclusive
to jdsports.co.uk

Prepare For Battle
adidas are ready for war this summer
Check out... the adidas Battle Pack which will catch the eye at the
World Cup this summer. The adizero f50, predator, nitrocharge, 11pro
and f50 Messi have all been given disruptive black and white war paint
inspired patterns. The only colour feature on the boots comes from
three fiery gold stripes, which represent the glory of the competition.
Get your hands on a Battle Pack boot from jdsports.co.uk

Live for the Weekend

Boy Better Know

Like A Baller

Smart summer style

Bestival gets Grimey

Luol Deng taught me

Check-in… at Weekend
Offender’s flagship store at 19
D’Arblay Street in Soho to get
a closer look at the brand’s
summer collection. Boasting a
defiantly lairy but smart colour
pallet, the collection features
typically sharp cuts, premium
fabrics and mod silhouettes.
Or hit up weekendoffender.com

Check out… the Red Bull Music
Academy stage at this year’s
Bestival. The union has birthed
a cray line-up including Diplo,
Kaytranada, and grime godfather
JME, who brings the BBK fam
Skepta and DJ Logan Sama for
some serious bass.
Tickets are on sale now at
bestival.net

Check-in… to two time NBA
All-Star Luol Deng’s basketball
camp. The South Norwood
hailing player will handpick the
50 best under-19s in the UK for
the camp, which will run from
20-22 August. The camp will
continue to build the sport’s
foundations in the UK.
For more visit luoldeng.com

#READYFORANYTHING / 16

#ReadyForAnything
If you needed further proof that life really does
just take you where it wants you to go, then Eddy
Leonardo is it. Starting out as a writer, it was a
combination of timing and opportunity, and a talent
he didn’t even know he had yet, which provided the
now 24 year-old with the opportunity to prove that he
is indeed #ReadyForAnything. We got in depth with
the photographer to find out how exactly he ended up
shooting Wiley’s album cover as well as snapping for
Trapstar and London Fashion Week.
Photgraphy by Jon Attenbrough
Styling by Kyran Low
“I wrote an article on Parker and James who had produced [Chip’s
song] Oopsy Daisy and sent it to RWD. They liked it but said they didn’t
have a photograph. I bought an SLR, took the photos and sent them
in,” he says, of his route into photography. “After a few months no one
gave a sh*t about my writing; everyone wanted me to do their photos.”

“We live in a day and age where any little idea
you have there is nothing stopping you from
doing it. The only thing stopping you are your
own doubts.”
And that was pretty much it. The next few years spiraled into a blur of
shoots for Nicki Minaj, Diddy and Wiley, who even ended up using one
of Leonardo’s shots as his album cover “It was nice walking around
and seeing my picture all over London, that’s probably a highlight,”
Eddy booms, and it’s easy to understand why, particularly as he
regards Wiley as one of his heroes “That was the first time I was ever
star stuck. It was the equivalent of meeting Santa Clause.”
Was it a conscious decision that took Eddy from relative unknown
to being front and centre at London Fashion Week? “I just went with
the flow,” says the super laid back Leonardo. But it’s an inherent
understanding of what needs to be done to capture the best images,
“If you’re a photographer, essentially you’re an entertainer,” he
explains. “If you’re taking a picture of someone, you have to entertain
them to get the best out of them.”
As for his plans for the future? “Before I get stuck with a kid or a
mortgage or something, I wanna see the world,” he says, adding that
he will be documenting as he goes. “I just want to go traveling and try
and shoot some new subject matter,” he explains.
Short films are on the cards, too, “We live in a day and age where any
little idea you have there is nothing stopping you from doing it. The
only thing stopping you are your own doubts.”
Follow the journey @eddyleonardo

Sonny Reeves
Disturbing London signee Sonny
Reeves – formerly known as Dot
J.R – most recently caused a buzz by
featuring on G-FrSh’s Falling High,
but the London hailing singer is
much more than just a voice [albeit
a stunning one]. The songwriter
and producer is often in the studio
with label mate Tinie Tempah, and
it’s the jamming sessions Reeves
enjoys most: “I think that’s the most
amazing, creative way of making
music, because it’s more of a feeling.
I love making big hit singles and
things that people can sing along to,
but more than anything else I love to
experiment and try to do something
that no one else has done.”
@Sonny_Reeves1

Rebecca James

Tweet To Win!
Duck and Cover’s directional take on trendled menswear always keeps us one step
ahead. RWD and Duck and Cover partner
up to champion the hottest emerging
talent and this month Sonny Reeves and
Rebecca James, plus photographer Eddy
Leonardo are all #ReadyForAnything. As
always we’re here to make sure your style
is on point and these Duck and Cover World
Cup-ready Plean shorts will keep you cool
this summer.
Get involved in this month’s competition by
heading to Twitter using #ReadyForAnything
@duckandcover_ @RWDmag
duckandcover.co.uk

At aged 18, Rebecca James has lay
down the foundations of a career
well beyond her years. A talented
singer/songwriter, Rebecca’s
hauntingly beautiful covers have set
the Welsh born singer on the right
path. The last few years have seen
her go from performing at local
shows to surprising packed arenas
with her unique and soulful sound.
Currently writing and recording
her debut LP and basking in the
success of buzz certifying single
Thinking About Me, Rebecca is on the
precipice of something special. With
her cool and nonchalant attitude
combined with a natural beauty
and incredible voice she is one you
should definitely keep an eye on.
@RebeccaJames_

ABOUT TO BLOW / 18

About To Blow: Shift K3y
20 year-old DJ, producer and singer
Shift K3y rose to prominence a couple
of months ago when his single Touch
peaked at number three on the official
charts - pretty impressive for a first
release! Alya Mooro caught up with
the North London hailing talent to find
out more.
“I think it’s happened pretty quickly,” says Shift
K3y, real name Lewis Jankel, of his neck-breaking
catapult to chart topping success.
But although it’s only been a short stint since
signing to Columbia Records and unleashing
Touch, it has been a long time coming for the
north London hailing artist, who has been writing
and producing since the age of ten.

“I feel a lot of producers and DJs are
playing musical production rather
similar to a video game.”
Honing his skills by playing the guitar, songwriting
and singing in a number of bands, it was only
natural that elements of the aforementioned
crafts would weave themselves into his
productions: “It makes you think in a different
way,” he says.
“I feel a lot of producers and DJs are playing
musical production rather similar to a video
game; they’re just thinking this sound plus
this drum at this tempo equals deep house or
whatever,” he explains. “I have absolutely no time
for that; I make music that I want to make, which
sort of stems back to that thing of being in bands
and being a singer-songwriter.”
And it’s not just his productions that separate him
from the pack; Shift K3y has also made waves by
singing over his productions, even mid-DJ set. The
question as far as he’s concerned though, isn’t
why, but instead how could he not? “I think anyone
who gets up there and just plays other people’s
records… [and I’m] not discounting all the other
DJs, but I just think they could do a lot more with
their time when they get up there, especially when
you have stages the size of Ultra [Music Festival].
I just find that a bit embarrassing.”
He’s already felt a noticeable shift: “Before, it
was us asking for stuff and trying to make things
happen, now it’s completely the opposite.”
As for his plans for the rest of the year? More
single releases, music videos, free downloads and
rocking a whole bunch of music festivals, the likes
of Bestival, Boardmasters, Ibiza and Mallorca,
ahead of an album release early next year. Phewf!
Touch out now @ShiftK3y

Oscar
Worthy

-

Chelsea fans won’t have loved
Oscar’s declaration that he has
been saving himself for Brazil’s
World Cup campaign, but that’s
how seriously the hosts are
taking things this summer.
Rocking the brand new Battle
Pack Predator LZ, the former
Sao Paolo star represents
the new generation of Samba
player in which technique and
invention are teamed with a
European taught physicality and
aggression. The master plan is
almost complete.
Oscar wears the adidas Battle
Pack Predator LZ available now
from jdsports.co.uk

Roy’s
Revolution

With lower expectations come lower risks, and at
times it’s felt as if our expectations for England
have been minimal to non-existent. We’ve certainly
had good reason. Steve McClaren had to suffer the
ignominy of failing to qualify for the 2008 European
Championships and bore a large proportion of the
media and public’s bile, but the truth of the matter
was that an England team featuring Joe Cole,
Gareth Barry, Micah Richards, Paul Robinson, and
Shaun Wright-Phillips was never going to make
waves at a major tournament, and while McClaren
was perhaps guilty of taking the job a few years
too early, he wasn’t guilty of much else. Caught
between generations, Sven-Goran Eriksson tried
and failed, before Fabio Capello stared Ferdinand,
Owen, Scholes, Neville and Seaman’s rightful
heirs in the face, and still managed to assemble an
ageing and ultimate flaccid squad.
While fans were shocked at England’s humiliating
exit in the 2010 World Cup at the hands of a
resurgent Germany, they really oughtn’t have been.
David James, Aaron Lennon, Michael Dawson,
Peter Crouch and the aforementioned Joe Cole
were all starters for Capello, while the bench
included world beating stars such as Matthew
Upson, Stephen Warnock and of course Emile
Heskey. If it feels like you’re struggling to get
your hopes up for this summer’s tournament then
be sure to blame those names and that period of
footballing purgatory.
This England squad is fresh. This squad is new.
Raheem Sterling, Jack Wilshere, Adam Lallana,
Ross Barkley, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joe
Hart, Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturridge and
Luke Shaw make this an England team worth
getting behind. Roy Hodgson is bearing the fruits
of investment into academies up and down the
country, and while we’re still a few years away
from a Spain-like super-group, Steven Gerrard
leads the most exciting squad of our lifetime. If this
team were traveling under the name Belgium or
Colombia, then it would be looked at as one of the
World Cup’s dark horses, and that’s exactly how we
should see ourselves.
It’s time to be proud of our England team again,
and not because of some aimless, flag-waving
sense of patriotism, but as a true representation
of our nation. I’ll be proud to call myself English
when I see this team face Italy on 14 June, and you
should too. Viva la revolucion.

IN THIS ISSUE:
Joe Hart On
His Epic Rise

Tinchy
Stryder
Breaks Down
His Firsts

Jack
Wilshere Is
Ready For
The World
Cup

England’s World Cup
In Numbers
For the first time in a long time we
may have reason to really be excited
about a World Cup, so with that in
mind, we’ve got a few stats to help
maintain our high patriotic gas mark

England hold the record for the most matches without conceding a goal in the World Cup, held by Peter Shilton. A run
spanning 1982 and 1990
The Most goals scored in a World Cup final came from Geoff
Hurst and his legendary hat trick against West Germany in
that 1966 final
Steven Gerrard has been deadly in front of goal this season with the highest goal and assist return in his Liverpool
career 13 goals and 13 assists
Daniel Sturridge scored had an amazing goal average with a
goal coming every 1.34 games in the 2013/14 campaign
Gary Cahill’s Chelsea finished the season with the best
defensive record in the league with just 27 goals conceded
England qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup top of their
group, losing no games
Wayne Rooney was top goal scorer in England’s FIFA 2014
qualification group with seven goals in 10 games

We Hit The
Winner Stays
London
Tournament

Two Sides
Asks Messi or
Ronaldo?

Vincent
Kompany
Does It All

10
3
13
1.34
27
0
7

14 FOR 14 / 24

From

The Hart
Following a season which saw Joe Hart
lose and reclaim his Manchester City
number one jersey- before a near faultless
run-in saw the 27 year-old claim his second
Premier League medal, the England man
couldn’t be in better form as he prepares
for his first World Cup as England’s first
choice. The former Shrewsbury Town man
talked to Tego Sigel about his teammates,
his taste in music and more.

“I don’t even remember what happened
[against QPR in 2012]. I was just so
wrapped up in it and emotionally drained
from that second half.”
As we prepare for our chat with Joe Hart,
the England keeper has Twitter abuzz with
a photo from 2006 which features him in an
aerial dual with England teammate Rickie
Lambert, back when the international
teammates were both plying their trade at
League Two clubs ”I remember the game,
he got two!” Joe recalls. “That was the
home game. Him and Grant Holt used to
play up-front for Rochdale.” So does Joe
ever think about how far he’s come? “It’s
hard to think like that. I’m kinda living it...
there’s too much going on right now for me
to reflect.”
From League Two prospect to Premier
League winner, Joe’s ascent is a rarity in
the modern game, and it’s not one he takes
for granted “I’ve loved everywhere I’ve
been.” He ponders “I’m really proud to have
been at Shrewsbury Town and I’m really
grateful for the opportunity they gave me at
such an early age.”
Going on to claim one of the most dramatic
title wins of all-time in 2012, Joe struggles
with the memory, “I couldn’t even explain
that feeling. Obviously it’s great to get your
first England Cap and stuff, which is a really
humbling honour, but going 38 games
and then that second, that moment. You
can’t write that I don’t think.” Even if Joe’s
memory of the day, which saw team-mate

Sergio Aguero grab a last second winner, is
a haze, the feeling will last forever “I don’t
even remember what happened. I was just
so wrapped up in it and emotionally drained
from that second half. I was thinking ‘What
have we done?’” And Hart holds Argentinian
hero Aguero in extremely high regard
“He’s a good guy first and foremost, that’s
important. He’s good fun and obviously
super talented. He can do whatever he
wants football wise and he’s a legend at
our club.”
But whom in particular does Joe Hart find
to be the most entertaining character in the
City dressing room? “I think Aleksandar
Kolarov, he’s a great character.” The threetime Golden Glove winner grins, “Ally is a
real one-off! He is as he comes across, real
firm, but his banter is so sharp, he’s got
everything.” The Manchester City dressing
room banter is not what people would
expect though, “People think of football
banter and they think of people hiding
people’s keys or leaving fish in places, it’s
different.”
Having seen control of the dressing room
stereo wrestled away from Joleon Lescott
by a rogue kit-man - “He had no reason to
be in our dressing room and then he turned
into a DJ.” Joe Hart says his own taste is
quite varied, “I listen to the radio a lot. I
like 1Xtra, that does it for me, kinda keeps
it mixed up. When I go in it’s quite a multicultural dressing room, a bit of music from
all over the world. It all interests me”
But what of this summer’s World Cup and
the vibe in the England camp? “You look
around the league and see the all of the
boys playing and think everybody is in good
form.” Joe confidently affirms, “We’ll come
together at the end of the season and our
lives will revolve around England when the
time comes.”
Joe Hart fronts the Doritos Penalty
Shootout, a campaign which has seen
groups of friends compete for the chance
to score a penalty against the No.1
goalkeeper, in order to win the ultimate
mates trip. To see the winner’s story or take
a penalty against him in a digital game, go
to doritos.co.uk

/ 26

Tinchy
Stryder

Needing no introduction to RWD readers, Tinchy Stryder’s selfenforced hiatus from the frontline of British music has allowed
him to refocus his energy on a brand new sound as witnessed on
his buzz-heavy comeback single Misunderstood. A trailblazer who
made his name in the Grime scene, Tinchy went on to redefine
the pop music landscape and set a new standard for urban music
with smash singles Number 1, Take Me Back and Never Leave You.
The East London pioneer is similarly known for his love of all
things Manchester United though and the former Wimbledon FC
prospect told RWD Football about his memories as a player, his
thoughts on David Moyes, why he will never like Luis Suarez
and more…
Photography Verena Stefanie Grotto

My First Love… is Manchester United. My first game
was against Spurs at Old Trafford, in 2009. Ever
since I was young I’ve loved United, but nobody took
me to the games, so when I got to the point where
I would get invited to games I went a lot, but that
was my first game. At the end of the first half we
were losing 0-2 and then we came back to win 5-2.
I remember during the game just feeling like ’Yeah,
this is home’ it felt really good. This Season has
been different. I haven’t felt this way before. Since
David Moyes came and Sir Alex Ferguson made that
speech telling us to stick by him, something felt to
me as if he was telling us ’Yo, something ain’t gonna
go right, so you should stick by him!’ I was like, why
does it feel like people are already negative and like
we’re gonna need to stick by him?
My First Favourite Player… for Manchester United
was David Beckham. There was something about
Beckham. I remember one of the first kits I got had
his name on the back, when he was number 24. I
remember that half way line goal, I was playing for
Wimbledon at the time, so when he scored that goal
I remember thinking ’Is this real? From the half-way
line? Na, you’re joking!’ and I remember getting home
and watching it like ’He’s really on the half way line!’
That was crazy, that was a very big moment for our
whole generation.
My First Big Match... was a final in Sunday League.
That’s when your parents and everyone is watching
you and I’m like ’Woah, I’ve never had this!’ You see
it on TV, but when everyone’s there to watch, it’s
different. The stadium was bigger than I was used to
playing on, on a Sunday, with the muddy grass and
that, but this was an ok pitch. I was playing at leftback when usually I was a striker, but in that team
the manager made us try different positions. I don’t
play defence but because I was good on the ball and
I was fast it was cool and we won - I remember that!
My First International Heartbreak… was in South
Africa when Suarez stopped Ghana making the
semi-finals of the World Cup with that infamous
handball. After that I couldn’t like him. Plus he’s
Liverpool. That was a real heartbreak, I went out to
South Africa to watch it so when I got back I was like
’Really? We got that close?’
@TinchyStryder’s single Misunderstood is out now

“I was playing for
Wimbledon at the
time, so when [David
Beckham] scored
that goal I remember
thinking ’Is this real?
From the half-way
line? Na, you’re
joking!’”

WINNER STAYS / 28

Winner Stays:
London
Rarely have we seen football played with such intensity as we
did in the four corners of London for Nike’s Winner Stays tournament last month. Taking place in cities around the world,
Winner Stays debuted an exciting new small-sided format in
which participants were challenged to risk everything. 4 v 4,
the first team to concede loses a player and regardless of who
scores it, the next goal wins!
Photography Liam Ricketts
All of London’s regions boasting
their own unique identities, it was
only right that local heroes be
selected from competitive and
creative music worlds to host the
regional heats, with north London
represented by Meridian Dan,
west London by Sylo G, south
London by Krept & Konan and
east London by the legendary
Newham Generals.
Making sure south London stayed
at the top of the agenda, Konan
knows what makes his region
special, “Everybody wants to be
from South London, you know?
We’re just the best.” D Double
E begs to differ though, offering
“There must be something in
the air [that makes East London
special], something in the water.”
While Stylo G cites the comfort he

feels in his adopted home of west
London for his loyalty to the area,
“West London is great, trust me.”
Meridian Dan explained his theory
on how north London developed
its ball skills “We speak differently
in north London and then those
vocal chords travel down the body
and end up in the feet.”
With industrial, sun-drenched
concrete, surrounded by steel
cages, graffiti laden walls and
glorious London skylines, Winner
Stays had the perfect street-ball
feel with environments perfectly
contrasting the innovative flicks,
dribbles and turns of the confident
and intuitive players who adapted,
thrived and became champions to
a pumping soundtrack in the combative risk everything format.
Visit nike.com/riskeverything

“There must be
something in the air
[that makes East
London special],
something in the
water.”

The Winners
The winners of the heats will
compete in the Winner Stays:
London final at Phenomenal
House on 31 May and they are:

D Double E

West: Ultra
Fast starters Ultra got into their
rhythm and rarely looked like letting
it go. A pure passing team, the
west London winners tortured their
opposition across the day.

East: Team Easy
Their name might suggest that the
competition wasn’t up to the task in
east London, but Team Easy had a fair
amount of scrap to them too, throwing
their bodies on the line throughout the
tournament.

South: Pimlico Plumbers
Dripping with swagger, Pimlico
Plumbers started in blistering form
and ended the day just as strong,
as they were forced into a playoff to
decide the south’s overall winner.

North: Team Banjo
One of the trickiest teams across the
heats, Team Banjo were equipped
to play in tight spaces and explode
into possession when the time came.
Worthy winners.

14 FOR 14 / 30

Two Sides:

Messi or
Ronaldo?
Find a room of football fans and ask them the
question, ‘Messi or Ronaldo?’ and you’re likely to
find a pretty even split. Considering the question of
the season so far, which of the two is the world’s
best, Ben Fawcett and Tego Sigel debate.

“Cristiano always strives for
greatness, and he does it so we
know that, with hard work, anything
is possible”

and was back in training a couple of days later.
Typical Cristiano.
Following an eye-catching performance against
Manchester United in a pre-season game, Sir Alex
Ferguson had to have him at his club. Cristiano
became a star in the Premier League with 84 goals
in 196 games.

Never have two players so divided opinion on football
domination. The balance constantly tipping from
one side to the other, dependent on form, accolades
and impact. Me? I don’t have that quandary; I am
steadfast in my stance that not only is Cristiano the
best player alive, but the best player of all time.
The Ballon d’Or holder is the epitome of hard work,
graft and commitment. Cristiano first made ripples
in football as a 16 year-old playing for Portuguese
side Sporting FC. During his freshman season at
Sporting, Cristiano featured for the club’s Under 16s,
Under 17s, Under 18s and B-team, before making his
debut for the first team, where he scored two goals
and announced himself in a way that only he could.

With a world record bid accepted, Ronaldo moved
to Real Madrid, where he has faced his greatest
challenge yet, Lionel Messi. Not one to shy away
from a challenge, Cristiano has excelled in the
Spanish capital. THE football role model, an example
of hard work, sacrifice and dedication, Cristiano was
born a football god, but that natural talent wasn’t
enough for him, he wanted to change the game.
He’s grown taller, stronger, more intelligent and
generally more incredible in front of our eyes. There
is no limit for Cristiano, he gets better with every
passing game, even when those around him falter,
Ronaldo stays awesome.

Diagnosed with a ‘racing heart’ at 15, Cristiano
underwent a breakthrough laser surgery to remedy
his career threatening condition. After a successful
operation Ronaldo was discharged from hospital

The people’s champ, Cristiano always strives for
greatness, and he does it so we know, that with hard
work, anything is possible.
@BenKeableFaw

Wayne Rooney

Luis Suarez

Very few players would
have been able to handle
the pressure of leading
the line for the worst
Manchester United
team in over 20 years
without missing a beat.
As players around him
struggled and ultimately
failed, Wayne remained
world class.

Not only does Luis Suarez
have a goal average
better than one in two for
Liverpool, he scores goals
that defy logic, reason and
frankly respect. If you give
him an inch he’ll take a
mile and he’ll probably
lob you from that mile out,
with his eyes closed and a
grin across his face.

There is no denying that Cristiano Ronaldo is
a phenom. A beast created in a lab by the best
coaches, experts and tacticians on the planet. The
Portuguese is well deserving of his Ballon d’Or
award, he has been the most effective player on
earth this season. But that doesn’t make him the
best. There is only one best and he’s the most
natural football player to ever play the game, he is
Lionel Messi.
We’ve all heard the stories about Ronaldo’s workethic. Admired by teammates, coaches and rivals
alike, Messi is also known to be one of the most
professional and obsessive trainers in the world. So
Ronaldo has perfected the six-foot leap, developed
thighs the size of tree trunks and has the top-line
speed of an Olympic sprinter, it was ‘Little Leo’
who outjumped Rio Ferdinand to score a header in
the Champions League final, it’s ‘Little Leo’ who
consistently wins matches single-handedly and
hypnotises with every touch of the ball. Admire
Ronaldo the machine, adore Messi the god.
The 2013/14 season has been Ronaldo’s. He’s
scored goals for club and country, he’s met the
challenge of Gareth Bale and become a better
player for it, and he’s driven Carlo Ancelotti’s

“Lionel Messi has it all. Stop
debating and start enjoying this era
of the great one, the best that ever
lived”
side to the Champions League final. But in this,
a notably quiet season for Lionel Messi, the
Argentinian has scored almost a goal a game,
broken club and league scoring records, led
Barcelona to a higher place in the league table
than rivals Real and is well placed to spearhead
Argentina’s World Cup assault this summer.
The wheels on the Barcelona band-wagon have
been dented in the post-Guardiola era and it’s
become hipster cool to claim that the more
efficient Bayern Munich are more deserving of the
world’s greatest club title. And while hard work is
a virtue, it’s one that nobody in this conversation
could ever do without. True genius has to have that
and so much more, and Lionel Messi has it all. Stop
debating and start enjoying this era of the great
one, the best that ever lived.
@TegoSigel

Gareth Bale

Yaya Toure

Since his earth shattering
transfer from Tottenham
Hotspur to Real Madrid,
Gareth has not taken his
foot off the pedal and is
getting better and more
terrifying with every
passing game. Just ask
Marc Bartra.

Undeniably one of the
most important players at
any club in world football,
Toure is also the best
player at the Premier
League champions.
With 24 goals in all
competitions this season
Yaya could be the best
midfielder in the world.

14 FOR 14 / 32

Pride In The

Lion
Appearing as a late substitute in the most
important game in Arsenal’s recent history,
Jack Wilshere managed to be a part of that
all-important first trophy in nine-years, whilst
simultaneously thrusting himself to the forefront
of Roy Hodgson’s World Cup plans – not a bad way
to end the season. As methodical and passionate
as his delicate, yet lionhearted playing style
suggests, he’s had to cope with the expectation
that he should lead two sleeping giants into a new
age of dominance and he’s a better man for it - and
don’t let Paul Scholes tell you otherwise.

“A year is a long time to be out of
the game… The game changes all
the time, so you have to watch and
learn. Otherwise, you’re just going
to be left behind.”

14 FOR 14 / 34

> “When you’re not doing the thing you love, you’re
going to be frustrated, whatever it is,” Arsenal’s
number 10 considers. “My son Archie was born two
days after I had surgery, so I was quite lucky in that
way because he kept me occupied.” The perfect
counterbalance for the frustration of not being able
to develop in what would have been a crucial year
for the star, “When you’re around football, football
is your life, and you love it, but nothing comes
before your kids and when you realise that, then it
helps you to enjoy it a bit more.”

“I’m one of the English players who
likes to be loud and aggressive on
the pitch as well as everything else
that goes with playing for England.”
Excruciatingly unlucky with injuries, Jack missed
the entirety of the 2011/12 season, a period which,
with no hesitation he calls “The worst time for
me in my life.” With a note of zen in his tone, he
continues, “Sure it took pressure off in the short
term, but in the end it just added pressure. In the
press, when I was injured, I became a better player
than I have ever been.” At a time when Arsenal
were struggling to match expectations and England
were undergoing seismic changes as the Fabio
Capello era gave-way to Roy Hodgson’s vision for
the three-lions, Jack’s name was at the tip of every
pundit’s tongue. “They’re always waiting for you
to come back, and when I eventually came back,
they were saying that the England team will win
the World Cup and whatever, blah, blah, blah. But
I think it added a little bit more pressure.” There
have to be lessons learnt from the hard times
though “I think you do learn a lot. A year is a long
time to be out.” Jack recalls, “The game changes
all the time, so you have to watch and learn.
Otherwise, you’re just going to be left behind.”
His off-pitch antics remain an obsession of the
national press, and while it’s easy to brush off
Wayne Rooney’s complaints about paparazzi
ruining his pre-World Cup family holiday [The

amount of money they earn?], it’s only when you
put a human face on the struggle that you begin
to understand why somebody who has been the
subject of such intense scrutiny from such a
young age might view the intrusive and utterly
surreal obsession with their lives something of
an annoyance. Himself a former child prodigy,
heralded and scrutinised since first appearing in
the Arsenal youth ranks, a contemplative Wilshere
knows it’s all part of the game “It is a little bit
[frustrating],” he concedes. “Still, I have grown up
around it. I was in this since I was 16. There are
players around me who had to deal with the same.”
Understanding the beast makes it a little easier to
cope with, “When I was younger I used to open a
newspaper and read about players. So I sort of got
used to it.” But does he wish it were different? “If
you look at other countries, football is football, they
respect their men outside of the game and what
they’re doing. So it is a bit frustrating, I think. But
being brought up around it, it’s the English culture.
You just have to deal with it.”
It’s not in the gossip pages that Jack Wilshere
will cement his legend though, so what is the
hardest thing facing him as a player? “I think it’s
maintaining the standards week in and week out.”
He confirms, “You see some players they are so
good at it, and other players have top form and
then the next game they can be at their worst. I
think maintaining that level is the hardest thing.“
And with massive Champions League nights,
England appearances and the consistent battles
that face any team trying to achieve in the always
unpredictable Premier League, Jack knows
consistency is the key, “When you’re playing every
three days, to stay mentally prepared is tough,
you’re out one game and no matter what happened
in that game - if you’ve had a bad game, if you’ve
done something, if you’ve missed a goal or if you’ve
missed a penalty, that game is over. Then you’ve
got to switch on to the next game. That’s quite
tough to do sometimes.”
It’s his consistency, across an action packed
career, which has made Jack a lynchpin in
England’s midfield and a man of whom great things
are expected this summer. A taste for trophies
intensified since winning his first senior medal >

14 FOR 14 / 36

< this year, Wilshere dares to dream when it
comes to Brazil 2014, saying his only plan is to
“Try to win the World Cup.” A focus England will
need if they’re to have any impact on the biggest
stage of all, because as Jack will testify, the talent
is there. “We don’t really play like other nations,
but in the end we’ve got our own style. We’ve got
our own way of playing.” With the current squad
boasting the kind of technical ball-players English
fans have been crying out for since Paul Gascoigne,
Jack has a point. “Just because we don’t play like
Spain doesn’t mean we haven’t got a high level of
technical ability. We’re changing our game all the
time and we want to adapt it to a level where we
are going to be able to win things.” The 15-cap man
considers, “If that requires passing it around a bit
more, then we’ll do it. But at the moment, we’re
doing all right.”
Englishness is a defining characteristic for Jack,
who takes immense pride in representing the
national team, “I think sometimes people get too
caught up in ‘we need to do this or that,’ we need to
remember as well that we are English.” But what
does that mean? “We are determined. We’ve got
great hunger for the game. We invented the game.
We have a great passion for it. We like to tackle
hard and make teams know that we’re there and
we’re there for a proper game.” That rough and
ready attitude has given Jack something of a hardman reputation in the game, with his fearlessness
making him a target for Premier League wind-up
merchants, “I think that’s become a part of the
game these days.” Jack considers, “You’ve seen the
great midfielders of the past, Steven Gerrard and
players like that, they’ve all had it. You know, they
all like to get stuck in and like to tackle and they
can play as well.”
But what gave Wilshere the fearless edge that
makes him such an intense and fiercely proud
player? “I’m not sure. I was always tough and I
always used to play my brother’s mates growing
up, and my brother was three years older than
me.” The former FA Youth Cup winner recalls,
“I think it was important for me to play older
players and get used to that. Looking back I always
remember finding football easy, it would come
naturally. I don’t remember trying something

“When I was younger I used to open
a newspaper and read about players.
So I sort of got used to [the media
pressure].”
that was difficult. I could just do it.” But what do
Arsenal’s continental stars make of the combative
midfielder? “I think they know that I’m English and
proud, that I would always give my all when I’m
representing my country. I’m one of the English
players who likes to be loud and aggressive on
the pitch as well as everything else that goes with
playing for England.” Of his multicultural dressing
room, Jack thinks there’s a lot to be learnt
from Santi Cazorla and co. “It’s very interesting.
Everyone is different. The Spanish are different
from the French. It’s just how they’ve been brought
up. So it’s interesting to work with different
cultures. You learn different things every day.“
The scorer of the 2013/14 Premier League goal of
the season, for which the diminutive playmaker
started and ended a hypnotic team-move in a
routine Arsenal victory over Norwich City, Jack’s
in no mind about the thing that gives him the
most pleasure on the pitch, “I think I would be
lying if I didn’t say scoring a goal.” The proud star
confidently confirms, “I think no matter what, you
always like to be scoring goals. And an assist is
good, but you always want to be number one.” He
does admit that an assist is a special feeling, “It’s
not as good as scoring though, but it’s close.”
Letting slip that he’d like Tom Cruise to play him
in the movie of his life, he’s hoping it will be an
exciting one, “There is a long way to go, hopefully.
I’m only 22, I’ve been here six years and so much
has happened in that time, so hopefully in the next
15 or 16 years I’m involved in the game, there’s
a lot of trophies coming,” and with one trophy in
the bag, you’d be a fool to bet against the young
champion “It will be interesting, but I’m not sure
anyone would want to watch a movie about me!”
Jack Wilshere wears NIKE FC, buy the range at
nike.com

/ 38

Great
Kompany
Captaining the dark horses of the tournament this summer, Belgium’s Vincent
Kompany heads to the World Cup with a spring in his step following League Cup
and Premier League winners medals as well as a place in the prestigious PFA
Team of the Year. Coolness personified, the popular Match of the Day pundit had
high expectations to meet when he sat down with Oliver Hayes last month to talk
Brazil 2014 (“I’ve been looking forward to this World Cup for the last 10 years!”)
growing up in the spotlight and characters in The Etihad dressing room, but
Kompany always delivers...

How much pressure do you feel being
captain of your country?
I think the first thing is that for me to
captain of my country is not a pressure
alone, it’s a pleasure and I’m happy to do
it. I’m proud to do it, and I think I grow
stronger the more I have responsibility,
so if you call it pressure, then pressure
is good for me. The other thing is that it
probably links into how I play, so again if
there’s pressure then I feel comfortable
and on the pitch it’s the same. A lot of
it is down to my personality and a lot of
it is down to how I was taught to play as
a young kid at Anderlecht, and I think
that will never leave me. I’m actually
still trying to improve every single day
to ensure that towards the end of my
career when my legs won’t be as quick
anymore, but my brain can be quicker
and my feet can be better.
What are the expectations for this
Belgium team from fans back home?
Expectations are like any country that
is going to participate in the World Cup;
it’s disproportionate. People want to see
their team do well, but some want to
see even more than that, so you have to
live with that. But I couldn’t be happier
to enter that competition with the group
of players that we have, and not just the
talent but the personalities and attitudes
as well.
How has Belgium managed to produce
this incredible generation of players?
I don’t know, there’s a bit of luck
involved. I think for such a small country
to have all these players coming through
within the same period of time, there

“I couldn’t be happier to enter that
competition with the group of players
that we have, and not just the talent
but the personalities and attitudes”
must be a bit of luck involved, but that
luck has helped us to realise that we can
do it and it maybe shows that we have
to just put in the right amount of effort
and we can have players like that, and
hopefully this can carry on much longer
than just my career.
Is there anything England can
learn from the development of this
generation of Belgian players?
I think maybe you have to work into
depth and details and that it’s not all
about the first teams, but that it’s about
the youth as well. In a country like
England where everybody loves football
and with a bigger population than a lot
of countries around Europe; it shouldn’t
be too hard to produce a huge amount
of top players all the time. Obviously you
have good players at the moment, but
you can produce a lot more by going into
more depth.
You’ve played in Belgium, Germany and
England, how do those leagues compare
in terms of atmosphere and how much
of an impact do you think fans can have
on games?
The fans were good in Germany.
The fans were good in Belgium. And
obviously we’ve been very lucky here

/ 40

at Manchester City. The main difference
is that the English fans react to the
games, so if it’s a good game with a
lot of challenges, speed, tempo then
you get the English fans on your side,
whereas in other leagues it’s a different
atmosphere. I have only positives to say
because there’s nothing better than to be
supported by such huge crowds.
You’ve made a lot of fans through your
punditry on Match of the Day, how do you
enjoy being involved in that?
It’s different. It’s obviously something
that’s out of my comfort zone, but I like
to do it. It’s a show that I used to watch
when I was a kid, then you get asked and
how can you refuse? It was good to meet
those guys as well because Gary Linneker
and the team are all people who have
done something in the game and they
show you a different side of what’s going
on around football, so I liked it.
How much has Manuel Pellegrini
changed things at Manchester City?
The positive thing is that we’d won
trophies before Pellegrini, but we’ve won
trophies with him, so you can see we’re
carrying on with our winning habit. But
he’s obviously got his own playing style
and his playing style is very, very good for
offensive minded players like Samir Nasri,

like other players. It’s true they have been
incredible for us this season, they have
been so important, and I can only say
that I’m happy with that because this is
the way football should be played, and if
you win stuff as well then you are doing
something right.
Who would you say is the funniest
character in the Manchester City
dressing room?
If you want to have a good laugh in the
morning when you come in then you go
and sit in the corner with Micah Richards
and Joe Hart. Those are the guys that
have really good banter. The other guys
are all good guys, but I’m looking at
them and I’m thinking ‘We might get
entertained here!’
Joe Hart told us that Aleksandar Kolarov
is a particularly funny character, is that
something you’d agree with?
Yeah, Kolorov is hilarious, but he’s
hilarious because he doesn’t try to be
funny. He’s actually always serious.
It’s disproportionate that he’s always
serious and always angry and that makes
everyone laugh I guess.
Vincent Kompany wears the new Warrior
Skreamer Pro. For more information go
to warriorfootball.com or follow
@WARRIOR_FTBL

“Kolorov is hilarious,
but he’s hilarious
because he doesn’t
try to be funny.
He’s actually
always serious. It’s
disproportionate that
he’s always serious
and always angry”

/ 42

didier drogba:

respect due
Not too many players unite the neutrals in their simultaneous
fear and respect in the way that Galatasaray’s Didier Drogba does.
Known for his devastating power and lethal finishing, the Ivorian
striker also boasts a great reputation as a philanthropist and
humanitarian, so catching up with the former Chelsea man at the
launch of his new HOM underwear range, profits from which will
go towards building a hospital in his homeland, Ravi Sidhu talked
World Cup, living in Turkey, charity and more…

“They’re more…not passionate,
but they support the team in a
different way... everybody that
goes to games is shouting and
it’s all for the love of the team.”
How are you finding life in Turkey?
It’s great. The weather is not so good right
now, it’s raining and windy but I think
soon better days are coming. The culture
is great. The way the Turkish people
welcomed me, they’re really nice people.
Istanbul is a fantastic city.
How do the fans over there compare to
those in England?
They’re more…not passionate, but they
support the team in a different way. They
sing more, there’s no VIP in the stadium,
everybody that goes to games is shouting
and it’s all for the love of the team.
Tell us about your new HOM range…
We wanted to do something different to
help the Didier Drogba Foundation so our
idea was when you buy one pair, one euro
is going to the Foundation. It’s a different
approach and it’s different to what has
been done before.
And what is the Didier Drogba Foundation
hoping to achieve?
We are building five clinics. We have
started the building of the first one in
Abidjan this year. We want to also give

five clinics around the country because
it’s suffered from civil war and a lot of
other things have to be done in terms of
infrastructure and medicine, healthcare
etc. We’re focusing on children, women,
healthcare and education, so right now
we’re focused on the clinics in order to
realise what we want. We’re launching the
underwear brand in order to help fund the
work we do.
You’re known for your charity work, how
important is it to you to be able to help
people?
It’s important because it’s part of my life.
I was doing this before, but now I’m lucky
to have the attention and the media behind
me to approach what I’m doing, but in my
family and in Africa, it’s normal to help so
for me there’s nothing different to what I
was doing before. I was helping the same
before but now I have more people behind
me, so it’s better.
Are you excited about the World Cup?
Yeah, I am. A World Cup in Brazil, I think
it’s special. I’ve never been to Brazil.
Who are you tipping for glory?
I think Spain and Germany but number
one, Brazil.
What Ivory Coast players should we be
looking out for?
I won’t say me [laughs]. I think Yaya Toure,
Gervinho, Salomon Kalou.
Drogba and Co is available to purchase
online at hom.com/didier-drogba
follow @DidierDrogba

/ 44

Christian

Value
It’s not every day that you witness a Premier League superstar
airdropped into a training facility via helicopter, at least outside of
the transfer window, but that’s how Tottenham Hostpur and Denmark
playmaker Christian Eriksen made his presence felt as a group of
young fans tested out Nike’s new Magista boots at The Hive in Barnet.
Having overseen a training session and fan Q&A, we joined the former
Ajax man to talk Football Manager, London life and more…

How did you enjoy your helicopter ride?
It was good; it was the second time in
my life and the first time just for me.
It was really nice. I did publish a selfie
saying it was mine
What was your first reaction to the
Magista boots?
I was a bit surprised; normally I just
assume it’s going to be a small boot with
new colours or something. Then they
showed me it and I thought it was just a
clip on sock bit. It was really impressive
that they changed it so much.
How have you enjoyed your first season
in the Premier league?
I’ve really enjoyed it, very much. I’ve
really liked it, I’ve been really impressed
by the whole thing, with the club and
with the city. It’s been a really nice place
so far.
Which players inspired you most
growing up?
I think the player that most impressed
me was Francesco Totti from Football
Manager because I play a lot of Football
Manager, but I think it changed a little
bit to Michael Laudrup after reading
books and keeping it a bit Danish.
Did you always buy yourself when you
played Football Manager?
As soon as I could, I did. I did cheat
a couple of times where some clubs
couldn’t afford me but still got me
anyway [laughs].
Given that you’re a player who likes to
control the pace of a game, how much
did you have to adjust to the pace of
English football?
Of course, I’ve had some stupid injuries
that you can’t do anything about and it
takes time to come back on track. I don’t

“I think the player that
most impressed me was
Francesco Totti from
Football Manager because
I play a lot of Football
Manager”
know how, but you adjust. Over time
you adjust to the game, you get used to
the training, you get used to the players
and that’s when things start getting
automatic, then things start to turn.
It feels like football fans have been
waiting for you to make your big move
for a few years now, how did you handle
the pressure of being so hotly tipped?
I don’t know. Of course, it’s been
like that for a little while, I’ve been
compared to a lot of different payers
with people saying ‘You have to play like
that and you can become like him,’ but
I’ve always been trying my own thing and
trying to make my own name and this is
something I’m still willing to do, make
my own name and then maybe people
will be compared to me. Right now I’m
just enjoying where I am.
You seem to be enjoying London life,
what’s your favourite thing about living
in the capital?
There’s always something new to
see, which is probably more for my
girlfriend. I get bored in the same place,
but here there’s always something
new, somewhere new to go like a nice
restaurant. Time goes really quick.
Christian Eriksen wears the brand new
Nike Magista boots which you can buy
now from jdsports.co.uk

SO
AMBITIOUS
“My core audience wants something
from me that doesn’t sell records, like
when they say ‘I miss the old 50’, they
want what I put out for promotional
purposes”
The second coming of 50 Cent has been a headline
grabbing one, but the cerebral assassin’s return
has seen a change in approach for the mogul - at
least when compared to his earth shattering debut
in 2003. Back then a starving Curtis Jackson,
backed by Dr Dre and Eminem, made trouble his
business, pulling cards and ending careers on an
almost weekly basis. With his first run including
two diamond selling solo albums Get Rich or Die
Tryin’ and The Massacre, followed by a double
platinum plaque for Curtis and then a gold one for
Before I Self Destruct, 50’s decision to step back
from the music business when even his lowest
profile releases were outselling those by the
majority of his peers, might have seemed a strange
one. But lucrative business ventures including a
vitamin water partnership, his own headphone
range, an energy drink brand and a film production
company, which is currently working its way
through a fairly substantial $200Million investment
from Lionsgate, you can see why being the most
dominant force in hip hop slipped down his list of
priorities. So what has motivated the Queensbridge
MC to release two albums in 2014, Animal Ambition
and Street King Immortal, and make the hip hop
world freeze all over again? Tego Sigel finds out.

SO AMBITOUS / 68

It feels like your newfound
independence is a big driver in your new
music…
That’s exactly what it is and it feels
great too, because they’re allowing me
being independent to make the right
decisions for me as an artist. A lot of
the time it’s not just making a record
so that you get it, like with a major
company, once you have a successful
sales history there’s really nobody that
isn’t an option [to work with], unless you
get punked from the record or if there’s
somebody who already went through
the process and rebelled from it who
won’t be influenced by that. So some
of the ideas for collaborations and who
should do what with who come from the
room, you know what I’m saying? They’re
going ‘This will work!’ and you want to
make sure that everyone who is engaged
with the project is passionate about it,
and if you go away from what they’re
actually saying then you’re giving them
the perfect opportunity to say ‘We told
you! You should have did it like this!’ Then
it’s because you’re not being cooperative
and a lot of the time that’s not going
to be spot-on. My core audience wants
something from me that doesn’t sell
records, like when they say ‘I miss the
old 50’, they want what I put out for
promotional purposes, the street energy
on these records, but they can’t go but
so far because they can’t reach those
exposure levels.
But your single Smoke featuring Trey
Songz is something that could have
worked on a major label…
Right! It’s still not as big of a
compromise. Trey Songz is not a difficult
artist for me to work with. Like his last
two records, the Na Na record, the joint
Ordinary he had, with those records, I
can find verses on songs that I wrote
for myself that would belong on them
content-wise. It’s easier to make the
concept comparisons and put the things
that I think belong on there that I write
myself, so I understand what he’s
actually doing. With Trey, and I said this
to him too, I said ‘You can’t just make the
man’s rnb record! You’ve got to give it to
the girls!’
We’ve all heard people say ‘I want the
old 50.’ How do you respond to that in
2014?
To stay in one spot is to not grow. You
didn’t do anything! You didn’t evolve in
any way. There are things that you do
immediately coming in, and in music
culture you become the song. If you come
in with a hit record, you’re a hit. Then,
what kind of hit record is it? Because
the same things they say about me, like

“I’m already in the financial
state that it wouldn’t matter,
like, what am I going to
make from the actual
record?”
‘Oh, I want the old Fif!’ That means they
want the reaction connected to it and
they want to feel like they felt when
I first came in. Because things were
crazy enough around me at the time for
me to be genuinely crazy on the record
[laughs]. Without any fabrication to it, it
was crazy! You see it in the newspapers,
all of the situations that come around,
whether it’s people getting shot in front
of the radio station, or getting stabbed at
the award shows or whatever it is. You’ll
see all things coincide.
There are people who want to take
credit away from you, is it important
that you succeed again to prove how
much of your success was your own?
People are always going to say things.
They’re going to take credit for
everything. Even Tony Yayo would say
that he put G-Unit together, but he
was in jail when the record was on!
[Laughs] You know what I’m saying?
He did it! [Laughs] They all were a part
of it, they’re all part of what developed
into what it became later, but they
weren’t the driving force of how it got to
that actual point, and you’ll say that if
anybody can take credit for the sh*t I’ve
done in the past, then they can’t for the
things I do moving forward.
Do you feel the pressure to come out
and recreate that 50 Cent can’t lose
atmosphere?
That’s all that I can gain out of it! I’m
already in the financial state that it
wouldn’t matter, like, what am I going
to make from the actual record? Even
with me going to shoot a music video for
every song prior to the actual release,
people will know that Beyoncé just did
it on her last album and somehow it
goes unnoticed that I did it in 2005. So
I’ve been on that page. When I put out
the first two records from this project,
Hold On is 50 Cent and Don’t Worry About
It production-wise is actually what’s
working in the clubs. I put them out and
the guy who loves Hold On doesn’t care
for Don’t Worry About It and the guy who
loves Don’t Worry About It doesn’t care
about Hold On.
50 Cent’s album Animal Ambition is
released June 3 with Street King Immortal
to follow later this year

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO LAND A SYNC? / 70

Flux Pavilion
Producer/Artist
His hit single I Can’t
Stop has synced
across a number
of platforms, most
recently in The Great
Gatsby. Flux’s remix
of Skrillex’s Recess is
out this month.

WHAT DOES
IT TAKE TO
LAND A SYNC?

With acts the world over catapulting to
fame and those PRS cheques looking ever
so bulging following a spat of lucrative sync
deals in TV, film and advertisements, it’s
never been more desirable to land a sync.
Alya Mooro picks the brains of some of the
experts in the field – from artists who have
had their fair share of syncs, to songwriters,
producers, music supervisors and even the
Head of Sync at Sony/ATV to try and gauge
what, if anything, is the secret ingredient to
birthing a sync-able track.

“The songwriting market has changed so much, that
when you write or produce a piece of music, you
really hope it gets synced,” explains British singersongwriter Alex Clare, whose own career took a
massive turn when Microsoft picked up his single
Too Close for a global commercial. “Nowadays, with
limited radio play and limited other media outlets,
getting a sync is like getting a magic lamp,” he
continues. And isn’t it just!
Even for artists who may be more established,
getting a sync will expand the range of people who
will be exposed to their craft. As Flux Pavilion,
whose single I Can’t Stop featured most recently in
The Great Gatsby, explains: “By being part of a bigger
project that sits outside your own world you have
the opportunity to reach people that have no idea
of your existence. I can guarantee there are people
that have watched The Great Gatsby that would never
have heard my piece of music otherwise.”
Pair that with the fact that a lot of brands have
bigger platforms and budgets to break artists than
labels do, and it’s a win-win. But getting a sync isn’t
just a matter of wanting it; we speak to some of the
people in the know to find out how it’s done.

Matt Schwartz
Producer/Songwriter
Multi-instrumentalist
record producer and
songwriter. Matt has
written and produced
for chart-topping
acts including Kylie
Minogue and Robbie
Williams.

“Uplifting lyrics about life / love are
generally preferred.”

Alex Clare
Singer-Songwriter
Singer songwriter
whose track Too
Close was used by
Microsoft in a global
ad campaign. His new
single War Rages On
is set for release next
month.

“If a song fits the scene, it fits.”

Rob Lindquist: Vocal content plays into a song’s
suitability. A song’s vocal content won’t make it
100% un-licensable, but can limit the opportunities
greatly; there are certain topics that just aren’t
requested for obvious reasons.

Gary Calamar: The first thing I look for is a song
that will work in a particular scene, and if it’s the
right vibe for the show. Sometimes you want a
song where the vocals are up front and will help
the scene with its lyrics, and other times you
want something that will create a mood and add a
texture, the viewer may not even know it’s there.

Hiten Bharadia: Uplifting lyrics about life and love
etc. are generally preferred. It’s really important
that the lyrics don’t conflict with the ad, but
enhance it; general themes are sunshine, life,
beach, party, love...

Rob Lindquist: Sometimes, for theme songs and
other important scenes, very big songs are sought,
but otherwise, if a song fits the scene, it fits.

Matt Schwartz: I produced Champion by Clement
Marfo. The lyrics suited perfectly to all kind of
sporting events on TV to the extent that it’s still
being used on all kinds of shows two years later.
Clement Marfo: The songs I tend to write are
uplifting and motivational - Champion and Us
Against The World, two of my most heavily synced
tracks fit that bill perfectly.

Alex Clare: They used a song of mine called
Whispering for [TV show] True Detective, which is
a detective drama/thriller. The song has like a
whole spooky guitar sound and lots of atmospheric,
melancholy vocals, so I think it kind of helped set
the tension for that.
James Cooper: The best sync placements work
in a similar way to movie scores, when music and
picture work together to tell you the story… when
it works, you just know. It’s right when you watch
it back.

Rob Lindquist
Licenser
Creative director
at Music Dealers,
a music licensing
platform which
provides pre-cleared
music and custom
song creation for
content creators.

“Buzz can be super-important.”
Matt Schwartz: Generally a credible act is likely
to get more syncs. People like to be associated
with “cool,” so either the act is credible, or the
track is. Credibility is, of course, in the eye of the
beholder. For some; Miley Cyrus or Pitbull may
be credible, for others; Skrillex or Pharrell.
Rob Lindquist: Buzz can be super-important!
Often clients want to know what the artist is
doing now. What are their social media numbers
like? Are they touring? Who are their fans? A
strong brand, fan base and online following can
help give an advantage over other artists.
James Cooper: A big trend in advertising over
the past couple of years has been covers of
well-known songs by contemporary artists. John
Lewis has been at the forefront of this trend. Big
back catalogue songs generally lend themselves
well to advertising, with familiarity being
great shorthand to convey mood and positive
association with an audience.

“Add a cutting edge ‘cool’ factor to a
campaign.”
James Cooper: Some brands opt to align
themselves with new and emerging artists.
Breaking a new sound or band can really help
connect with a scene and add a cutting edge
‘cool’ factor to a campaign.
Toby Williams: New genres are filtering down
and appearing in advertising - you can see
elements of trap and UK bass music filtering
through to ads, and so-called “EDM” has been
showing up for a while now.
Alex Clare: If you want to get a product out there
that’s current and relevant at that time, they
want a piece of music that kind of goes with that.
When Too Close came out it was very much the
flavor of the month – a cross of dubstep and soul,
which wasn’t really being done at the time.

Toby Williams
Music Supervisor
At Leland Music,
an independent
music consultancy
service that sources,
develops, creates and
licences music for
brands, ad agencies
and film companies.

Clement Marfo
Rapper/Songwriter
Hip hop recording
artist. Clement has
had massive sync
success with tracks
featured on Match of
the Day, WWE: Royal
Rumble, Snooker, Sky
Sports and more.

“It’s all about the release.”

“It’s all politics.”

Alex Clare: [My debut album The Lateness Of The
Hour, from which many songs have been selected
as syncs] is quite an anthemic album. There’s a lot
of high-energy stuff especially with Too Close and
Up All Night, it’s all about the release; they kind
of build up and up and up. They start off with an
air of tension and then the song releases into big
choruses… it’s very powerful.

Clement Marfo: As much as I am a keen believer
in hard work, luck plays a significant role. I am
fortunate to be assigned to one of the hardest
working publishers and when they believe in you,
that is a bonus.

Clement Marfo: The sounds of trumpets, imagery
of thousands of spectators chanting and waving
the Union Jack flag, the imagination of feeling
unstoppable, undefeatable, 10ft tall unfolded
to what became an anthem for Champion. The
signature sound we create is this dynamic,
anthemic stadium sound that appeals to quite a
wide demographic.
Flux Pavilion: A mentor of mine has always said
there are only two types of music: good music and
bad music. To me a good piece of music has to
have a personality and character. I think I Cant Stop
has that kind of universal​hook that helped it reach
out to different places.

Matt Schwartz: Who you know is also very
important. If you’re surrounded by a team who
have the right connections, or if you or them
know the director, producer or music supervisor
of an up and coming movie, then it helps. As
someone wise once said, “it’s all politics” - this is
probably the most important factor. It is possible
for random songs to be picked for a movie or a
TV campaign, but in my experience it’s a little
like winning the lottery.

BEHIND TH LABEL / 74
The Butterz Team
(Butterz)

BEHIND
THE
LABEL
Over the last few years the power
in the music industry has shifted,
where major labels once dominated,
there has been a fresh injection of
music lovers releasing music they
love independently. Not because
they were ticking boxes to send their
artists straight into the Top 10, but
because they were passionate about
the music. Nardene Scott hears how
Black Butter, PMR Records, LuckyMe
and Butterz are spreading their
sounds far and wide and what it took
to get to this point.

BUTTERZ
Hosting their weekly radio show on Rinse FM whilst at
university, Elijah & Skilliam thought they could do more with
all the new music they were coming across, and within a year
they did just that, as Elijah recalls - Butterz Is The Label.
We started Butterz in 2010… after doing a year on Rinse FM playing
grime records that weren’t released yet, we just decided to start something to have a banner over all the projects we work on; records and
events and merchandise. Skilliam and me are friends from university
and we’d known each other for five years. It started with a release from
Terror Danjah. Swindle and Royal T followed and they helped us build
what it is now.
Because I’d been buying records… I kind of subconsciously took things
in like, what you would do, what you wouldn’t do, what your dream
releases would be, how you want artwork. I’d say in grime [an influence]
would be BBK, like the way JME puts things together, he always has
a good eye, he preaches independence and that’s one thing that we’ve
always stuck by. Nothing has changed, none of us even have managers, it’s just what you see is what you get. The person that puts out the
records, is the person that does the accounts, it means we do things a bit
slower but we’ve got full control, there are no outside parties.
I don’t have any music industry experience… I’ve never worked a proper
job, so it’s not like I’ve ever been employed by anyone else. I did a marketing degree so people would say that’s the reason why Butterz makes
sense, but I’ve always had an eye for these things, not because I liked
labels and I liked records and music and grime; I had a different way of
presenting things. It was a feeling that I could contribute something new.
Elijah’s & Skilliam’s Fabric CD is out now, look out for the Butterz
Outlook stage and boat party, Bestival with RBMA then Sonar and there’s
always music, you just have to stay tuned @Butterz

Disclosure (PMR)

PMR
Working his way up through Polydor
as an A&R, Ben Parmar soon decided
he wanted to do his own thing, thus
creating PMR, the label that has
brought Disclosure, Jessie Ware, Julio
Bashmore and more to the masses.

I’d been working for a major label… for seven years and I got a bit frustrated with how they approached developing artists. I really wanted to
get involved in other areas. I quit my job because I found this kid called
Jai Paul, his music blew me away and I felt really inspired. The bosses
at Universal were a bit confused, so I explained that I just felt like it got a
bit stale and people were chasing after the same bands and having to pay
too much money to sign them. I just wanted to really believe it was possible for me to work in music and with music that I love. They said you
can start your own label. I was in a position where I was managing Jai
and Julio Bashmore and Battle For Middle You just blew up. I didn’t know
how many people were gonna like it, it wasn’t about what I thought could
sell or what the mainstream wanted, it was just about what we loved and
those were the principles.
It’s a reality of the music business now… it’s harder to sell records and
have hits, the landscape is shifting and the way people consume stuff is
changing. When you work in music, brand association and things of that
nature are important and how a lot of artists are able to make money.
There’s a huge value to music, and I feel like we’re just at a point where
the business is evolving and streaming is now becoming such an important part, so we have to embrace all of that. I was quite reserved in terms
of pushing the brand to the forefront for the first couple of years because
that’s not really my nature; I wanted to really build a story.
When we signed Meridian Dan… I think I was surprised as well; it wasn’t
like we set out to do it. I’ve always been a fan of grime, whether it was
Dizzee and Wiley in the early days or Dynamite and So Solid. But [German
Whip] appeared and I just couldn’t stop playing it, I heard it once, sought
it out and then met him and he was so impressive, in terms of what he
wanted to do. He played us more music that was really strong and we
were just sold on him, his vision and the music.
Regrets… that’s a daily thing. It’s a competitive business. You need to
have a strong vision… for what [your label] means and what you want to
achieve through it.
Keep your eyes on @pmrrecords and look out for a compilation album
dropping this year.

BEHIND TH LABEL / 76

BLACK
BUTTER
We’ve literally featured everybody on
the Black Butter roster, Rudimental,
Gorgon City, Clean Bandit, Kidnap Kid,
etc. so it was only right that we spoke
to Olly Wood, one third of the brains
behind the increasingly important
music label about their meteoric rise.
I was working with Rack N Ruin… he suggested I meet his mate Henry, and we hit on the
idea of starting a new label because the others were genre specific and also had another
mate called Joe. We had £5,000, Rack N Ruin
was the first artist to release via the label,
Jessie Ware did the vocals on that track, a
couple of releases after that, we signed some
of Rudimental’s music, (they were Henry’s
mates) and we were focusing on the management side of things, and then we got Feel The
Love and all of our lives changed.
It was important… to get a strong brand from
the off. The simplicity of the Black Butter
name happened to be staring at us one day
when I opened my fridge. Maybe the secret
of a logo is no matter what size it is, you’re
gonna recognise it. What we did really is
employ radio pluggers because there wasn’t
a direct scene to tap into; still to this day we
put all of the money back into promoting. So
with the management company, publishing
company and on the whole, the record label
is an advert for the acts, and adverts cost
money, so we breathe a sigh of relief if we get
that money back.

Gorgon City
(Black Butter)

“Even though it was only four years
ago, back then the majors were
all asleep at the wheel, they didn’t
have a clue that the tide was
changing and I think that we were
just perfectly positioned.”

The other one that put us on the map… was
the Ho Riddim. We got Swerve to remix it and
Henry got P Money on it and it turned into that
anthem. Even though it was only four years
ago, back then the majors were all asleep at
the wheel, they didn’t have a clue that the tide
was changing and I think that we were just
perfectly positioned. Every time the labels
have got involved in any underground scene,
it’s like 6-12 months before they destroy it.
You can see it coming, untalented people are
starting to be promoted heavily and that is
the beginning of the end. It’s when they think
there’s a formula that it’s becoming calculated rather than artistic. I guess our mantra
is that we just keep it about the music.
It took something my dad said to me…
(Laughs) when we had the Feel The Love demo
and we knew it was gonna be big. I was like,
‘Dad, abundance is coming’ and he was like,
‘Oh, you do talk a lot of boll**ks’ and then it
went number one, I was like, ‘In your face.’
He went, ‘Well, it did take you 12 years though,
didn’t it?’ Immediately, I was like oh yeah, so
my advice to anybody out there is if you can’t
face the idea of doing it for 12 years without
any recognition, do something else. I don’t
think everybody is built for it; they’ve got to
be up for taking risks and have ridiculous
passion, like, the idea of doing anything else
hurts you.
For more pearls of wisdom @ollywood and of
course the music check black-butter.co.uk

LUCKYME

Cashmere Cat
(LuckyMe)

The longest running label in our round up, Scottish born LuckyMe has supplied some of the most
experimental music to creep out of the UK over the past decade and speaking to co-founder Martyn Flyn,
we discover the now international label still thrives off of that organic vibe. Music. Art. Parties.

On a day-to-day basis… it’s me and co-founder Dominic Flannagan who run everything.
He’s based in London, I’m still up in Scotland,
it’s still a small team. We also have the arts
side of what we do with Pete Marsden. He just
did the stuff for Channel 4, we had a video
premiere on there and we did a few things for
them before like a TNGHT video [Bugg’n] and
some things with Cid Rim.
More than the music… [art has] always been
synonymous with what we do and we kind of
formed around Glasgow Art School when Dom
was at school there. So there’s always been
a dual element to what we do, whether it’s
artwork or video projects it’s just putting it
all together, not to say that there’s a distinct
house style, but the visual stuff is just as
important to us, and it tying into the work with
music artists. It’s all very collaborative and a
lot of people that we work with we’ve known
a long time. We were formed around a core
group of artists that we continue to work with
like Jacques Greene who we’ve known a very
long time, Machindrum and people like that.
Scotland wasn’t a place known for hip hop…
and that’s what we were into when we formed
the label, a lot of experimental hip hop was
being produced at the time and we were like
we need to get this out there, we should be rep-

resenting this. We had a club night initially and
it naturally formed around that, our releases
were quite sporadic in the beginning. Now
we’re a bit more established in what we do,
we can put out more but the idea is still based
around friends and music and people that are
making music that we’re excited by.
Label wise Warp were a big influence…
Numbers and Stones Throw, which are obviously born of a kind of hip hop but they do a
lot more varied things and have a freedom to
put stuff out and people don’t question it. It
doesn’t have to be straight up one sound, and
I like that, it’s interesting that you can follow
the label as well as the artists. The artists are
the most important part, but I think the label
can be represented in so many different ways.
We’re still learning the business side of
things… I think you do these things naively
wanting to get records out by your friends and
you begin to understand how things work and
the best way to get things out there. General
organisation and making sure things are done
the right way, that’s from production to mastering and making sure things are pressed
right, because we’re pretty much still doing
vinyl for all of our releases.
Make sure you follow the journey at @luckyme
and thisisluckme.com

DAVID SHORT / 44

ON THE
RISE
When David Short took
up a course at LeSoCo
he had no idea where it
would lead. By gaining
key skills during his
time there, he has risen
through the fashion
industry, winning an
FAD (Fashion Awareness
Direct) award and
interning at top design
houses. We discuss his
plans for what’s next.

How did going to college at
LeSoCo set you up for the
fashion world?
I was able to pattern cut and
sew and learnt all about CAD
design, so I was already a step
ahead of other candidates in
my skills when I was applying
for university by being taught
by industry experts at LeSoCo. I
entered the FAD 2010 junior
awards where we showcased
our designs at London Fashion
Week. An incredible experience
for a 16 year old!
Talk us through what you have
learned on your placements at
Victoria Beckham, Roksanda
Ilincic, Religion, etc.?
I’ve learnt a lot and gained
many skills and some valuable
industry contacts.

What would you say to guys
feeling hesitant about applying
for a Fashion course?
Don’t be! I would advise that
you are passionate about
the subject, as it is very
competitive, and it’s such a
broad industry that there are
so many different roles worth
investigating.
What does the future have in
store for you?
I am about to begin a placement
at Tom Ford. After I graduate
next summer I would like to
study an MA in womenswear,
and after that we’ll just have to
see what happens!
Find out more about Fashion
courses at LeSoCo at their Open
Day on 14 June, more details
here lesoco.ac.uk

“I’ve learnt a lot on
my placements and
gained many skills
and some valuable
industry contacts.”

UNWIND

COLLEGE
RULES
21 Jump Street was 2012’s most welcome
surprise; a remake of a late 80s TV series
no one remembers, starring a slimmed
down Jonah Hill and an out of character
Channing Tatum. Not quite a comedic
match made in heaven, but guess what; it
was great. And now they’re back with 22
Jump Street.
Words Julius “Peps” Pepperwood

With both Hill and Tatum enjoying their most resurgent
and award-laden years to date, a sequel to 21 Jump
Street wasn’t quite guaranteed. However, the pair clearly
enjoyed working together – seriously, their chemistry is
unbelievable – and audiences loved the first film, so the
age-defying undercover officers must step up once more.
They’ve already conquered high school; so impersonating
college students is a no-brainer. With a much-expanded
role for Ice Cube – reprising his angry black sergeant
satire – and the promise of Hill and Tatum impersonating
cartel gangsters, we’re already looking ahead to 23 Jump
Street: Exchange Students, to be swiftly followed by the
fourth film, The Unemployment Years. Fingers crossed.
22 Jump Street is in cinemas nationwide from 6 June

THE BIG REVIEW / 82

7
Surprise guests Pharrell brought
out in what was, hands down, the
highlight of the weekend. Gwen
Stefani, Snoop Dogg and Nelly
were some of the most notable.
Did we mention he brought out Jay
Z for weekend two? The gift that
keeps on giving.

3
THE BIG REVIEW:
COACHELLA

Approximately
the number of
corn dogs we had
per day while at
Coachella. Hot
dog deep fried in
cornmeal batter
and served on a
stick – get in my
belly!

Last month our feature writer Alya Mooro jumped aboard
the 11-hour flight to Los Angeles, California to make her
yearly pilgrimage to what she touts as the best festival of
them all. With a ridiculous line up, which included Outkast,
reunited following a near decade-long hiatus, scorching
temperatures and many a buff and ready festival body (no
beer bellies here!), Alya breaks down Coachella in numbers.
Photos Thomas Hawk for Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

33

The degrees it reached at
Coachella. Obvs we had
to have a few ice-cold
beverages to keep us cool.

Approximately the number of
blow-up sex dolls we saw being
batted around the crowd like
beach balls. No, we didn’t get it,
either.

The number of complimentary
pizza slices and Jägermeister
shots we guzzled at Lacoste’s
desert pool party. Weekend one’s
place to be.

100

Approximately the number of celebrities that stood front and centre at
Outkast’s reunion. Attendees included
Cassie (drool!), L.A Reid, Odd Future
in its entirety and David Hasselhoff –
yes, really.

15

The number of times we had to blow
our nose to get all that darn sand out
after Saturday’s freak sand storm. It
even made us miss Nas (and surprise
guest Jay Z) – yes, it was that bad.

1.6

Million tweets were sent out into the
Twittersphere by the end of weekend one
alone. A whopping 250,000 of those were
just about Pharrell and Outkast. Judging
by our own contributions, we think O M
and G made up quite a few of the characters in those tweets.

Minutes Future took up
of Outkast’s return to
the stage after their long
hiatus by talking about
(and performing songs
from) his new album.
Hey, Future, we wanted
hits from the past!
The number of
minutes Outkast
were late in
starting their set.
Doubly annoying
considering their
mics were cut at
1am sharp.

10

45
166
The total number of
acts that took to the
Coachella stage over
the three-day weekend. They included
Disclosure, Banks,
Pharrell, Outkast and
Nas. Woah.

Following the undeniably epic Rise of
the Planet of the
Apes, Caesar and
his gang of primates
prepare for war with
what’s left of the
human race in what
has to be the most
unexpectedly anticipated sequel of all
time. We can’t wait.
Release Date: 11 July

Tom Cruise loves a
high-concept sci-fi
blockbuster and
Edge of Tomorrow
offers the pintsized
star the opportunity
to suit-up, kill and be
killed as an inexperienced officer fighting
invading aliens on a
death loop. He may
be weird, but don’t
bet against Cruise.
Release Date: 30 May

Family Guy creator
Seth MacFarlane
tickled audiences
in record numbers
with his first featurelength film Ted, so
expect AMWTDITW
to hit those same
spots, if the trailers
are anything to go by.
Anticipate American
Dad in real life.
Release Date: 30 May

While it’s unfortunate that Michael
Bay is still at the
helm, we can at least
take solace in Shia
LaBeouf’s ejection
from the franchise.
Age of Extinction will
see transforming
dinosaurs join forces
with the transforming cars, and why the
hell not?
Release Date: 11 July

SPEAKER’S CORNER / 84

THE
DEATH OF
TIKI TAKA?

Equally obsessed with football and music,
Southampton supporting blogger and
journalist Aniefiok Ekpoudom takes a look at
whether the world champions have reached
the end of a long and successful road this
summer. So is Tiki Taka dead?

All Andres Iniesta recalls of his historic strike
during the dying embers of the 2010 World Cup
final is hearing ‘the silence.’ In that moment on a
steamy South African evening, Spain tore up the
football hand book. The game was now in the midst
of a new era. Technique had trumped physicality
and Tiki Taka was here to stay.
The road to success has been an arduous one. In
an era in which European football was dominated
by the French and the Italians, the 90s and early
parts of the prior decade saw Spain cast the lot as
perennial underachievers – they were stocked with
an endless list of talented individuals who fell short
when beckoned onto any and every international
stage. By 2006 though, enough was enough,
the late Luis Aragonés was to be the catalyst
for change as he forged a new core of players.
Aragonés gradually did away with the old guard and
built a team, as opposed to simply fielding a string
of gifted individuals. This side would go on to claim
Spain’s first international trophy in Euro 2008, with

a philosophy centred around a dizzying display of
short passes and a patient retention of possession.
Defensively they matched these uncommon tactics
with a daring high line and an intense pressing
system deployed in those rare occasions when
possession was relinquished. The results were
stunning and Spain swept to victory in a dominant
final against the Germans.
But despite Spain’s success, all cycles, no matter
how glorious or pioneering, must ultimately
come to a halt. Four years on from that night
in South Africa and the time has arrived for La
Furia to defend their title. This time around there
is a little more at stake, too. The rigours of Tiki
Taka - formulated by Johan Cruyff and perfected
by Pep Guardiola – have seen the style lose its
air of invincibility, and with the World Cup fast
approaching, we all eagerly await the answers. So
is Spain’s cycle at an end?
With the country’s global conquests running

parallel to the domestic domination of Barcelona,
it’s notable that the club side appear to have seen
their tipping point come and go. Pep Guardiola,
reflecting on his decision to depart the Catalan
club, earlier this year admitted, “Gradually I found
it more and more difficult to motivate myself and
to motivate the team. That is when you know it is
time to walk away.” Spain’s return to Brazil will
surely tell us if Tiki Taka has run its course on the
international stage as well. Vicente Del Bosque
has the option to adapt, and in Diego Costa and
Javi Martinez he certainly has the players to
accommodate the increasingly physical and direct
makeup of the game. Or of course he can remain
steadfast with the ingredients that have brought
Spain success. Rumours suggest that the 63 year
old will retire at the end of the tournament, and
with a European team yet to win a World Cup in
South America, perhaps the great Tiki Taka system
will retire with him.
Follow @_Aniefiok_ and check-out his blog
chroniclesofneef.com

“This time around there is
a little more at stake, too.
The rigours of Tiki Taka formulated by Johan Cruyff and
perfected by Pep Guardiola –
have seen the style lose its air
invincibility”